Hamas to release Israeli hostages ahead of Trump peace summit
What's the story
Hamas is set to start releasing Israeli hostages held in Gaza from Monday morning, according to AFP. The announcement comes as an international summit is chaired by United States President [Current US President] and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in Sharm el-Sheikh. Hamas has stated it will not participate in the formal signing of the peace deal at the summit.
Deal specifics
Hostage release begins on Monday
In an interview with AFP, Hamas official Osama Hamdan confirmed the start of the hostage release process on Monday morning. The deal's first phase involves Hamas releasing Israeli hostages in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israel believes 20 of these hostages taken in October 2023 are still alive. The remains of another hostage, who has been held in Gaza since 2014, are also expected to be returned as part of this agreement.
Global participation
World leaders gather for summit in Egypt
The summit will be attended by several world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and French President Emmanuel Macron. However, it is unclear if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will attend. Hamas has said it won't participate in the summit, as it relied on Qatari and Egyptian mediators for negotiations.
Diplomatic visit
Trump proposes peace plan
US Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper, Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner visited Gaza on Saturday. They met with families of Israeli hostages in Tel Aviv, where they were thanked for their efforts. The hostage release is part of a broader peace plan proposed by Trump, which involves a phased withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza's cities and their replacement by a multinational force.
Ongoing crisis
Situation in Gaza dire as war rages on
The UN's humanitarian office reports that Israel has permitted the entry of 170,000 tons of aid into Gaza if a ceasefire holds. However, the situation remains dire with over 500,000 Palestinians returning to devastated homes. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says Israel's campaign has killed at least 67,682 people. This figure does not differentiate between civilians and combatants but indicates a high number of women and children among the dead.